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Join Date

Aug 2009

Posts

146

TECH: Reline your helmet!

So I've been meaning to do this for a bit now and finally got around to doing it the last couple of days. For those that wear the vintage helmets you know that they shit kinda goofy on your head and like to balloon up when your on the freeway. I relined one of my helmets a while back but it took some time in doing and I knew there was an easier and faster way to do it, so I sat down the other day and worked out a new easier way to reline your vintage lid. It's pretty easy to do and doesnt cost to much for the supplys either and you dont have to have any expensive equipment. All you need is some material of your choosing, spray adhesive and an old shirt again of your choosing. I started out using some elmers spray adhesive but then found my good stuff that works much better.
This is the stuff I used. Its only a couple bucks at Joanns.

So since I had already relined one helmet I used that for some of my measurements for front and back height. My measurements were 4 1/2" front and 3 1/2" back. I got the original pattern from the lining that was alredy in the helmet.

It's gonna differ from helmet sizes so I would say play with it a little. My helmets were small and the other s/m so I would assume you might need to make them a little bigger for a large helmet. After I got the height I measured around the helmet for the length.

I ended up cutting it down about four inches so it would fit. I didnt take into account the foam thickness. I then measured out on my foam and made my design. I used 1" foam for this part.

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I cut out my material and after a little trimming got the fit I was looking for.

I then took my cloth and did a ruff cut around my foam leaving plenty of extra to wrap around. You can always cut it down as you glue it.

I then spayed the back of the cloth and foam. I let it sit for about a minute before sticking the two together. Make sure you spay both pieces or it wont be a permanent bond. I started with the sides and after getting it glued down sprayed and attached the rest. I didnt take pics of me doing this but I figured it's pretty easy to understand.

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Join Date

Aug 2009

Posts

146

It needs to set a little before messing with it so I left it until the next day and fit it into the helmet to see how it fit. After I got it back in the helmet I measured the opening to make my center pad.

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I then transfered my measurements to my foam and to make a box and then I rounded the courners of it.

For the center pad I used 1/2" foam so the helmet sits nice and low on your head. I then cut out the pad and checked my fit.

I then found the shirt I wanted for the center of my helmet and then checked the size with my pad to make sure it was gonna fit nice.
I went with an old Johnny Cash shirt I had lying around.

After I cut the shirt design out I placed the pad back in the helmet along with the already done outer piece to get in in the right spot so I could glue it in. I then pulled the outer part out carfully so I didnt move the center pad and then traced the center pad so I could pull it out and glue in down in the right spot.

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Since the ear pieces were in good condition and I was using black for the center I decided to leave them in. This meant I needed to cover them up while I was spaying the adhesive.

After attaching the center pad in put all the pieces back in the helmet with my shirt so I could get the shirt centered up. I then again carfully removed the outer pad and glued the shirt on the center pad. I did this by lifting half it and spaying both the pad and shirt and a little of the helmet. I then did the same thing on the other side.

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Join Date

Aug 2009

Posts

146

While I was doing all this I noticed there was gonna be a a couple small spots that the inside of the helmet was gonna be seen due to the stock ear pads not meating up perfectly with the new pad. I cut a couple pieces of my cloth and glued them in prior to gluing in the outer pad. Make sure you look carfully at all the spots on the helmet that could show threw because I ovelooked a spot just inside the ear pads that the helmet showed threw and had to pull it all out and glue bigger stips in.

These are the first pieces I made. I had to manuver the cloth around the curve of the helmet as I layed them in to get them to fit proper.

This is what I ended up with.

I also glued a strip in the front were the seam is just to be safe. I then glued the outer pad and moved it around until it was in position and looked good. Like I said make sure you spay both pieces and wait a minute for it to tack up. Dont wait to long on this portion cause you want to be able to move a little unless your that good that you can place it in perfectly the first time. This is what I ende up with when all was said and done.

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Join Date

Aug 2009

Posts

146

I know I didnt show how to make the ear pieces since I already had them so I made some for my other helmet that was still missing them. For this all I did was measure from were the foam was to the bottom of the helmet and the same on the side.

On the bottom piece I knew it neede to be cut at an angle so I measured the upper potion also. I came up with 4 1/2" for the top and 5 1/2"-4 1 /2" for the bottom. I took these measurements and transfered them onto my foam and made a box. I decided I wanted them 1 1/2" wide based on what they were on my other helmet.

I rounded the edges with something that matched the curve on the helmet.

After cutting it out I traced it and cut out my second one so the would be semi identical. Cutting the thick foam is a pain in the ass so ther not perfect but once wrapped you can make them looks pretty close.

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Join Date

Aug 2009

Posts

146

I did the same thing as I did earlier. I cut out cloth bigger then the pieces. I had to do a little trimming and make some relief cuts to make it around the curves. I didnt take pics of this couse it was a pain enough doing it before the adhesive dried. Just make relief cuts making sure there not to far so that the foam doesnt show threw. Also you can cut excess material off as you attach it so its not bulky and you get around the curves nicely.

Then again spray the inside of the helmet and the back of the ear pads and attach when ready. Make sure you push the pieces down once there were you want them so they make proper contact and attach to the helpmet permenently. I hope this is usefull to all out there. I took alot of pics so if theres anything I didnt cover or you have questions on let me know and I'll try to answer
them the best I can and if I have a pic of it I'll post it. The foam you use is up to you as far as what you want. I bought a yard of the 1" and 1/2" at Joanns. It's not to bad but can get pretty pricy. I lucked out and got a half off coupon for both and made my wife get in line so I didnt have to pay that much. I like the 1" on the sides and 1/2" in the middle. It seems to work for me pretty well but I would assume if you had a large helmet and not a large head you might need to use 1 1/2" foam for the outer pieces to get the nice fit. Sorry if I rambled on to much this is the first time I had to write out what I did and try and remember everything I did.

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Join Date

Dec 2009

Posts

1,528

thank you for taking the time to explain how to do this. I've got 6 old 3/4 helmets that need to be relined. I was thinking about selling them because I couldn't wear them. now I can try to save them. thanks again.

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when you did the first one did you pull the styrofoam out of the helmet and redo it like the factory, with the liner wrapped over the styro? I did one that way and it was a bitch! I like this idea.

How do you get the styro out? Break it into chunks? Or take it out and use just foam to build it back up? Been hoping to find someone who has done this before that is willing to give pointers!
THANKS!
Kenny

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Join Date

Aug 2009

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146

Originally Posted by wolfpaak

How do you get the styro out? Break it into chunks? Or take it out and use just foam to build it back up? Been hoping to find someone who has done this before that is willing to give pointers!
THANKS!
Kenny

Some times it's a pain in the ass to get the styrofoam out but you just have to kinda work it sideways and maybe open the helmet a little with your hands. It will come out you just have to mess with it a little. I used all new foam on the first on I did also. I just had a cloth liner over the styrofoam that had a decrotive stich on it and I made templetes from that to make the pieces. The first helmet I made individual peices all the way around and it took forever and was a pain. The way I did it this time with the one piece was much easier and faster. You can pm me as well if you need more help.